McAuliffe appointed to Birmingham Irish Centre scheme

29 Nov 2023

Court Collaboration has appointed McAuliffe Group to carry out geo-environmental consultancy and demolition works on the former site of Digbeth’s landmark Irish Centre.

McAuliffe at the Birmingham Irish Centre

The Irish Centre had been a part of the high street for half a century, before moving to a larger 12-acre site on Wheelers Lane in 2020.

Court Collaboration plans to breathe new life into the space, creating a 48-storey Build-to-Rent development that will provide 454 apartments, as well as co-working and leisure space.

To prepare for development, McAuliffe is demolishing the existing building, as well as creating a Remediation Strategy and carrying out ground investigations through its consultancy and technology arm, Geostream UK.

Speaking at an event held to celebrate the scheme in November, McAuliffe Group Managing Director, John McAuliffe, said:

“Growing up in Wolves, I was a regular at the Irish Centre throughout my teenage years and have a lot of good memories here. It seems fitting to now be back at the site, helping prepare it for a new era. Court Collaboration and Sir Tony Gallagher are behind some of the most exciting schemes in Birmingham, and this will be no exception. We’re delighted to be working with them again.”

To mark the start of works on site, the team buried a time capsule, which won’t be unearthed until 2073. McAuliffe contributed a pair of John’s childhood Irish dancing shoes, which he wore to an event at the Irish Centre decades ago.